


Stolen Moments

by Morgane (smilla840)



Category: CSI: Miami
Genre: Episode Tag, Family, M/M, Set during season 7, Wolfe's in Sheep's Clothing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-31
Updated: 2013-01-31
Packaged: 2017-11-27 16:13:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/663934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smilla840/pseuds/Morgane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-‘Wolfe's in Sheep’s Clothing’. Ryan makes a call.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stolen Moments

**Author's Note:**

> 'Wolfe's in Sheep's Clothing' gave me a brand new OTP, so of course I wrote fic. ;)

Ryan is tired.

He talks to IA for what feels like hours and when he finally staggers out of there he is exhausted and there isn’t an inch of his body that doesn’t hurt.

“Mr Wolfe,” Horatio says, and Ryan almost groans. He is grateful for everything H did for him – for Billy – today, he really is, but he needs a painkiller and do they have to do this now? “How did it go?”

Ryan shrugs, wincing as it pulls on his wounds. “As well as you’d expect. I’m suspended pending an investigation.”

“I’ll talk to them,” Horatio says and Ryan shakes his head.

“It’s okay. I did what I did and I knew what the consequences would be. And the thing is, if I had to do it all over again I’d do the same thing.”

“Very well.”

Ryan nods at him gratefully – the last thing he needs right now is the lab talking about preferential treatment – and starts to walk away when H calls after him:

“And Mr Wolfe? Get some rest.”

Ryan nods in acknowledgment and keeps walking.

 

He sits on the bench in the locker room, waiting for the pill he just swallowed to kick in. The picture of Mark and Billy is still in his pocket and his fingers brush against it when he roots for his cell phone. On a whim he takes it out, smoothing the cornered edges and feeling a little better already. Billy and Mark are okay. And hey, what do you know? Despite all odds he is too – or rather he will be. 

He takes his phone and hits speed-dial.

“Hey,” he says softly when his call connects. “It’s me.”

“Is everything okay?” The concerned voice at the other end of the line is one of the best things Ryan’s heard all day, second only to Horatio telling him Billy was fine, and something in his chest loosens.

“Yeah, I just… Did you go home? Or are you staying in a hotel?”

“Hotel, not far from the MDPD headquarters actually. Are you sure you’re okay? You don’t sound too good.”

“I’m just tired,” Ryan says, clutching the phone to his ear. His throat feels tight all of a sudden and he blinks back tears.

“You know what? How about we come and pick you up? You can spend some time with us, right? – Billy would like that.”

“Billy would, uh?” He asks, trying to keep his voice light and teasing to ease some of the worry that’s creeping into Mark’s but he fails miserably, sounding a little chocked instead.

He should tell him that it’s not safe, that they have to stay away, but truth be told Ryan isn’t _that_ strong.

“Yeah. Give us fifteen minutes?”

“Sure. I’m not going anywhere.”

He hangs up and stares at the picture a little longer before putting it away and dragging himself back to his feet. He grabs a few things from his locker and heads out of the door, ignoring the looks he is getting.

The painkiller starts to take effect and Ryan’s feeling drowsy by the time Mark pulls up in front of the crime lab, Billy bounding out of the car as soon as it’s come to a full stop. He runs up to Ryan and wraps himself around his midsection, making him stagger back and wince a little. Ryan doesn’t mind though, not when he gets to have this, and he hugs Billy back, giving himself a minute to enjoy the feeling.

Damn, but he loves that kid. 

A hand falls on his shoulder, squeezing tentatively, and Ryan opens his eyes – strange, he doesn’t remember closing them – to look into Mark’s. He looks upset and Ryan raises an eyebrow at him.

“I don’t look that bad,” he says but from Mark’s snort he guesses he isn’t fooling anyone.

“Fine, I feel like crap,” Ryan relents. “Can we go now?”

Mark smiles – finally – and herds him towards the car, Billy sticking close to them. He holds the door open for him and Ryan rolls his eyes but doesn’t complain. Mark likes fussing over him and Ryan’s missed him.

He sinks into his seat clumsily, feeling like an old man, and glances back towards the lab absently. Horatio is standing at the entrance, talking to Eric and Calleigh, and they all turn to look in Ryan’s direction. He doesn’t care what they think though, not today anyway. He’s got Mark and Billy back for a few hours, a few days at the most, and he won’t have them intrude on that.

So he ignores them and looks at Mark instead, Billy’s chatter picking up in the backseat. He reaches out with one hand and Mark holds it for a long time. Then Mark turns on the ignition and they drive away, and Ryan closes his eyes.

The past few months have been hell, his life suddenly devoid of everything that made it worthwhile. And he’s missed them, oh he’s missed them every fucking day. He’s missed the laughter and the lazy Sundays and the drives to school, helping Billy with his homework and kissing Mark in the garden. He’s missed his _family_ and it’s been killing him, the huge gap in his soul that he’s tried to fill with work – and failed miserably.

He forgot what it was like to be lonely when he met Mark and the man brought him into his life, first as a friend and then as so much more. Ryan came to love him and he came to love Billy, in no particular order, and they became _his_. But then they had to run, hide, and all Ryan had left were memories of how things had been – and should be, damn it – and fear deep in his guts of the Russians finding them.

In the end it was a relief that they came after him instead – until they took Billy too. From that moment on they could have asked anything of Ryan and he would have done it – and they knew it.

And suddenly Ryan is angry, and it’s better than the helplessness he’s been feeling for the last twenty-four hours. What was Mark thinking, coming back to Miami in the first place? He can’t put himself in jeopardy like that! Ryan would die to protect them both but Mark’s got to be more careful! If anything happened to either of them, Ryan would – he would –

The anger evaporates and Ryan sighs, rubbing his face tiredly. It’s no use, thinking what-ifs and should-haves. They’re fine, and they’re together, and for now it’s all that matters. It’ll hurt like hell when they leave again – and they _will_ , Ryan will make sure of that, because it’s what keeps them safe – but as least they’ll have made a few more memories.

“We’re here,” Mark says, jerking him out of his thoughts and Ryan extracts himself carefully from the car. Billy’s small hand finds his immediately and they make their way towards the elevator, Ryan scanning their surroundings anxiously. There are no signs of suspicious activity in the vicinity and he breathes a little easier.

Inside their hotel room Ryan makes sure the door is secure before he lets Mark steer him towards the bathroom after an admonition to Billy not to jump on his bed. He gets permission to watch cartoons instead and Ryan finds himself smiling at the normalcy of their exchange.

He’s missed that too.

“Take off your shirt,” Mark tells him after he’s closed the door behind them, and already Ryan is felling edgy at the idea of a closed door between them and Billy. Anything could happen back there and they would be too late and –

“I’m fine,” he says, trying to edge back towards the door.

“Ryan…” Mark growls. “Look, I know you’re hurt, alright? You suck at hiding it. Now take off your shirt so I can see if there is anything I can do and then we can both go watch some cartoons. Please?”

Ryan almost points out that Mark’s a vet, not a doctor, but the stubborn set of the man’s jaw tells him he won’t get out of this. They can both be quite pig-headed when they think it’s important – which is probably why it took them so long to get together, Mark wanting to find Ryan a new sponsor first. What a mess they had made, with Mark trying to keep his distance and Ryan misinterpreting entirely, thinking Mark didn’t want him around anymore.

The memories bring a hint of a smile on Ryan’s face but it fades quickly as he struggles with his shirt.

“Fuck, Ryan!” Mark exclaims at the sight, reaching out instinctively before thinking better of it, his hand hovering in mid-air before falling back to his side. 

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Ryan tries to say but Mark is already shaking his head.

“Not as bad as it looks! Have you even looked at yourself?”

Ryan reluctantly does – and okay, it’s not pretty, the white of the bandages he hurriedly strapped on this morning bringing out the darkening bruises that cover most of his upper body in an unforgiving light.

“What happened?” Mark asked. “Was it the Russians? Did you see a doctor?”

“Of course it was the Russians!” Ryan hisses, his temper suddenly getting the better of him. “And there was no _time_ for a doctor! They had Billy!”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry,” Mark says, running his fingers through his hair, and Ryan’s anger deflates. Mark’s got enough on his plate right now with Billy, he doesn’t need to be worrying about Ryan too. Kids are resilient and Billy may look fine, but there’s bound to be a rough patch before things get better.

“No, I’m sorry,” Ryan sighs, sitting down on the edge of the tub. “It’s just been a very shitty day.”

Mark smiles humourlessly. “Yeah, it’s been that.”

An awkward silence takes over, the months of forced separation reasserting themselves to form a daunting barrier between them. Until Mark steps forwards and tentatively raises a hand, fingers burying in Ryan’s hair. Ryan closes his eyes and leans into the caress.

“I’ve missed you,” Mark whispers and a lump forms in Ryan’s throat.

“I’ve missed you too,” he says and lets himself be pulled back to his feet, his hands coming up to clutch at Mark’s shirt as his head falls forward. “God, I’ve missed you.”

Mark’s careful when he wraps his arms around Ryan and pulls him into a loose embrace, afraid to cause more harm. Ryan needs it though, needs the feel of Mark’s body against his, of his arms around him, of his lips on his, and so he tilts his head up and brings their mouths together for a too brief kiss. Then he rests his forehead against Mark and just lets himself be for a few perfect moments.

“Come on, I’ll redo your bandages and we’ll go check up on Billy,” Mark says eventually and they reluctantly pull apart.

He does just that, wincing along with Ryan, and hands him one of his shirts. It’s too big and smells like him, and it’s just what Ryan needs.

Billy flocks to them as soon as they leave the bathroom, looking a little anxious. Mark ruffles his hair affectionately and Ryan smiles in reassurance – Billy is a smart kid, he knows something is wrong with Ryan but Ryan didn’t want him to see it anyway. It would only have freaked him out more.

They pile up on one of the double-beds, Billy tucked between Mark and Ryan. They watch cartoons and then they fall asleep, and when Billy’s nightmares wake them all up they soothe him back to sleep. Ryan’s are quiet, waking him up with a start and a pounding heart, and every time Mark is there to calm him down and make him feel safe again.

So he closes his eyes and dreams instead of a time when Mark and Billy won’t have to hide anymore and they’ll be a family again.

It’s a nice dream.


End file.
